A court just ruled that an Orangutan in an Argentine zoo in a “non-human person” unlawfully deprived of its freedom.

A habeas corpus petition challenging the “imprisonment” of “Sandra” the orangutan in the Buenos Aires zoo was upheld and the landmark court ruling could open the door not just to the orangutans, but to more lawsuits.

Two similar cases were rejected here in the U.S: “Tommy” the chimpanzee in New York, and a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals lawsuit which tried to free five whales in a San Diego water park.

The Argentine zoo biologist Adrian Sestelo said, “When you don’t know the biology of a species, to unjustifiably claim it suffers abuse…is to humanize animal behavior.”

Author

Janet (Folger) Porter is President and Founder of Faith2Action, the nation’s largest network of pro-family groups. Janet authored the first Heartbeat Bill to legally protect unborn babies with detectible heartbeats which inspired Arkansas and North Dakota's Heartbeat Laws--the most protective pro-life laws in the nation. She has authored five books including: The Criminalization of Christianity and hosts a daily radio commentary heard in more than 300 markets. You can follow her on Twitter @Faith2Action.

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